Epanerchodus yunnanensis, Golovatch, S. I., 2014

Golovatch, S. I., 2014, Review of the millipede genus Epanerchodus Attems, 1901 in continental China, with descriptions of new species (Diplopoda: Polydesmidae), Zootaxa 3760 (2), pp. 275-288 : 284-286

Epanerchodus yunnanensis sp. nov.

Figs 20–24

Material examined: Holotype male ( SMF), China, Yunnan Prov., above Dali, 2000–2200 m a.s.l., 4– 17.04.1999, leg. W. Schawaller. Paratypes: 1 male, 1 female, 4 juveniles ( SMF), same locality, together with holotype. Name: To emphasize the provenance of the new species from Yunnan.

Diagnosis: Differs from congeners by the large size, coupled with slender male prefemora, the presence of sphaerotrichomes on male postfemora, tibiae and tarsi and of two distinct processes at the base of a sigmoid, subterminally bacilliferous endomere, and the absence of an exomere. See also Key below.

Description: Length of holotype and male paratype ca 21 mm, of female paratype ca 23 mm; width of pro- and metazona 1.8 and 3.4 (holotype), 1.7 and 3.2 (male paratype) or 2.0 and 3.5 mm (female paratype), respectively. Coloration in alcohol pallid to uniformly light brown ( Figs 20 & 21 ).

All other characters like in E. jaegeri sp. nov., except as follows.

Antennae rather long and slightly clavate due to moderately high antennomere 6 ( Figs 20 & 21 ), slightly overreaching segment 4 or 3 when stretched dorsally in male and female, respectively; antennomere 3 longest,> 2 = 4–6.

In width, head <collum <segment 2 = 3 <4 <5 = 16, thereafter body gradually tapering towards telson ( Fig. 20 ). Paraterga broad and strongly developed, very much like in E. jaegeri sp. nov., but dorsum nearly flat, in male mostly somewhat upturned, reaching slightly above level of dorsum ( Fig. 21 ), in female largely subhorizontal; caudal corner of paraterga increasingly well extending behind rear tergal margin, acutangular, pointed and subspiniform, slightly shortened only in segment 19; metatergal bosses very flat, in rows 2 and 3 outlined by shallow sulci ( Fig. 20 ). Tergal setae very short, pointed, mostly borne on minute knobs. evident. Hypoproct roundly subtrapeziform, caudal, paramedian, setiferous papillae evident and well-separated knobs.

Sterna without modifications, densely setose. Legs generally long and slender, male ones slightly incrassate, prefemora not bulging laterad while postfemora, tibiae and tarsi beset with sphaerotrichomes ventrally ( Figs 22 & 23 ).

Gonopods ( Figs 22 & 24 ) much like in E. potanini ( Fig. 6 ), but basal half of telopodite slenderer, an exomere wanting while tip of endomere (en) trifid.

Figures

FIGURES 20 – 22. Epanerchodus yunnanensis sp. nov., holotype. 20 & 21, habitus, dorsal and lateral views, respectively. 22: segment 7 with gonopods in situ, ventral view. Pictures by K. Makarov, not taken to scale.

FIGURES 23 & 24. Epanerchodus yunnanensis sp. nov., male paratype. 23: leg 7, lateral view. 24: left gonopod, mesal view. Scale bars: 23, 0.5 mm; 24, 0.2 mm.

FIGURES 5 & 6. Epanerchodus potanini Golovatch, 1991, male from Lianhua Shan Mts. 5: leg 7, lateral view. 6: right gonopod, mesal view. Scale bars: 5, 1.0 mm; 6, 0.2 mm.